Trance Condition Not Essential

Many persons are under the impression that it is necessary for a medium
to go into the trance condition in order to manifest physical
mediumistic phenomena, but such is not the case. While many mediums do
lapse into the trance conditions at such time, it is equally true that
many others do not do so. Some of the very best mediums produce some of
the most striking manifestations while in a perfectly normal, waking
condition. A writer says of a well-known medium: "She constantly
receives evidences of the presence of her spirit friends while she is
perfectly normal. We have heard rappings and witnessed movements of
physical objects in her presence, while holding friendly conversation
with her, when we have been in a good light. Frequently, at meal times,
the spirits announce their presence by raps, and respond to the
salutations and questions of their medium and other members of the
family."

Professor Loveland says: "Many of the best mediums in the world were
never entranced in the sense of being in an unconscious sleep. And it is
doubted whether that condition is desirable. The Fox girls, and most, if
not all of the original rapping mediums, were never in the deep sleep
trance. It is not necessary for any of the physical manifestations, and
that includes a very large percentage of all the spirit phenomena. The
rappings, tippings, movings, slate writings, automatic writings,
paintings, telegraphing, voices, materializing, etc., can all occur
without the sleep trance, the reason for which is very apparent, as in
the production of such phenomena the spirits simply use the surplus
radiated nerve-force of the medium."